My Sweet Valentine
by odalys-ortiz
Summary: A young John and Joss share a moment that ultimately defines their future. A/U story with Careese.


_Disclaimer: I don't own anything associated with POI and am merely using anything familiar for entertainment purposes._

_A/N: Happy Valentine's Day. Along with the enjoy of adorable stuff animals and delicious chocolate, I'm gonna publish this little thing that I think I had wanted to do last year but for some reason didn't finish it. This is a clear A/U as you'll notice right from the start but no less Careese. This is _unbeta'd_ so please forgiven any _cringe-worthy_ mistakes or choice of words ahead. Hope you _enjoy :D

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My Sweet Valentine

"Alright boys and girls, remember that you can be as creative as you want. You're giving this valentine to the person that you think is special in your eyes." Harold reminded his fifth-grade class as he surveyed them at work. He smiled as he watched the students rummaging around for colored paper or glue to try and have their project stand out. Stopping by one of the small desks, Harold nodded his head approvingly. "Very nice Jocelyn. I like the colors you picked."

"Thank you, Mr. Finch" the little girl with braids sweetly answered before taking a pink marker and began drawing another heart. As Harold stepped to the next desk, Jocelyn was in full concentration with her tongue sticking out slightly. She was determined for this valentine to be perfect for one boy in class, the one that sat in the back corner who made her heart do weird things, John Reese.

They had first met during the start of the year when she had been rushing to get to class. Without paying attention, Jocelyn smacks right into a chest and sent her tumbling to the floor. She tried to fight back crying from the pain when she got her bearings. It was then that the other person involved began apologizing like crazy. When she looked up, Jocelyn was surprised by how cute the boy was with his pretty blue eyes. Those eyes were looking back at her with worry as he bent down and saw to make sure she was okay.

As his soft hands began checking her, Jocelyn didn't notice the other kids that were running around or gossiping loudly. No, her attention was drawn to the boy who offered to help her up after making sure she was okay which she accepted. After straightening her up and giving her back her school supplies that slipped from her backpack after the collision, the boy patted the top of her head affectionately leaving her to giggle at the gesture before again saying how sorry he was. Jocelyn told him it was okay before telling him her name. As they walked together to the class that they realized they would both be in, he told her his name was John and how it was nice to meet her even though it wasn't exactly normal and she happily agreed behind a smile.

Every morning, John would meet her just outside the school after her mom dropped her off so they could walk together and just talk about things which ranged from assignments to what they did the day before.

John and Jocelyn, who told him to call her Joss after a while because they became fast friends, were glued to the hip and it didn't go unnoticed by the other kids. One particular student was especially upset that the two of them were so close.

Zoe Morgan was someone else that shared Harold Finch's class. She had a seat just behind Jocelyn and anger licked at her while she watched the little girl happily sprinkle some glitter on her card. Zoe wasn't concerned with her project as much as she wanted to let Jocelyn know that John would no longer be seeing her. John didn't know it yet but he'd see her side of things. There was no need to feel pity towards the little girl because she didn't dress as nice as Zoe or always wore one long braid of hair. Yes, she had an idea to make her point clear.

When she thought Mr. Finch wasn't looking, Zoe walked over to Jocelyn's desk and grabbed the glue she was using. Without a second thought, she unscrewed the top and just poured its content on Jocelyn's heart, breaking hers in the process.

"My Valentine!" Joss shouted in despair as her eyes watered over what happened. Glue was all over her red heart, ruining the drawings and cutouts that she worked so hard to get right. When she looked at who it was, she recognized Zoe. She never talked to the girl so she didn't understand why she was doing this. She couldn't even ask as her own heart shattered when she looked down at the ruins of cardboard paper and glue.

"Zoe Morgan!" Harold's voice boomed through the classroom and everyone froze in place. "Don't think that I didn't see what you did. How could you do that to Jocelyn? I'm putting you in detention and having a word with your parents."

Before Zoe could blabber some kind of excuse to save herself, Joss swiftly pushed her chair back before running out of the class, getting John's attention as he briefly noticed the trail of tears down her cheeks. So distracted with making his own gift for her, he saw Zoe standing there with an open bottle of glue in her hands and quickly put together what happened. The students were ooohing and chanting that she was in trouble but his focus was on finding his friend. Pushing his chair back, John gave chase as Mr. Finch called out to both of them.

"Joss! Joss!" John yelled as he followed her, rapidly closing the distance between them thanks to his long legs.

She didn't stop until she reached the end of the school where the locked gym doors were. Breathing heavily, Joss just turned around and pressed her back against it before sliding down to the hardwood floor to sob into her knees after pulling them up to her chest.

Catching up to her, John leaned over and braced his arms on his knees to collect himself. His ears picked up on his friend's sobbing and he hated it because it reminded him of their first meeting. Even though it was an accident, he felt terrible for causing her to cry and promised himself that he'd never do it again. Those wonderful doe eyes of Joss' deserved to sparkle brightly with laughter at some dumb joke he made.

Recovering, John followed suit and let himself slide down on the floor with her before wrapping his arm around her quivering shoulders. "Hey, it's okay" he uttered, trying to comfort her but to no avail.

"I-I just wanted to make s-something nice for you" Joss stammered through the hitches in her breath as a new wave of tears hit her.

"Aww, don't worry about it, Joss. I don't need a valentine from you. You're my friend. Just knowing and being with you is the best gift I could ever have." John thought it ridiculous to brush it off because he had also been trying to come up with something amazing to create and give to her.

Joss peeked out from her knees and looked at John as he watched the hallway. Her heart thumped at the idea that just being by his side made him happy because he was her whole world. She had asked her mom a few times what it meant if you really liked someone as more than a friend. Her mom gave her a sweet hug before pointing to her heart, saying that when that happened, there was a word that grown-ups used to describe it. Well, that feeling was coming through again and this time, she felt the urge to do something about it. Leaning her head, Joss pressed a kiss to John's cheek. He turned in surprise before lifting a hand to touch the spot that now felt so warm. "You've always been so nice to me and I look forward to each day that I get to spend with you, even outside of school. I really like you, John Reese. Mommy told me that when I felt really funny whenever I'm around you, it means I like you as more than just a friend."

John's face grew red because he recalled how his parents were when they felt the same way although he couldn't deny the butterflies in his stomach whenever Joss looked at him a certain way. He liked her too, the way she smiled or told him stories about what her mom did with her. Joss was someone that he couldn't be without. Even after school, they would talk over the phone or their parents would arrange a sleepover for doing homework just to have an excuse to spend more time together.

John gently turned Joss's face to wipe the tear streaks that stained her cheeks before giving one a kiss of his own. Now matching in their blushes, he moved his hand down to link their fingers together as she rested her head on his shoulder, He followed suit, resting his own on top of her. "I promise that I will be there for you no matter what" John vowed just as the two heard footsteps getting closer.

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_20 Years Later_

"Now I'm to believe that the bride and groom have chosen to write their own vows."

John nodded to Joss before squeezing their linked hands, letting her go first. He was so enthralled with the vision before him as he imagined the bright smile that lay hidden underneath the lace veil.

Joss cleared her throat before beginning as their small gathering of friends and family listened intently. "John, these years that I've spent with you have been nothing short of amazing. We first met 20 years ago when we were just starting the fifth grade. Back then, neither one of us could have imagined that our lives would have taken the turn that it did. We were friends that would sit at lunch, sharing snacks, and just enjoying each other's presence. Then that fateful Valentine's Day, everything changed." A smirk tugged at John's lips at the memory.

"At that point, I was struggling with myself because I thought of you as a good friend but something changed. The way you laugh had my heart flutter or the way you looked at me made me blush. I can't recall how many times you did it before but the more time we spent, the more I felt connected to you. As I told you, my mom" Joss took a moment to look at the pews, smiling at her mother who was wiping away tears with a tissue. "Told me that when I felt that way, it was a special feeling that I later learned was love. I struggled with the idea and then decided to make you a card as part of the project by Mr. Finch to see what your reaction would be."

Joss paused at the lump forming in her throat as unshed tears threatened to spill from her decorated eyes. "Joss?" John uttered in concern but she shook her head, reassuring him that she was okay before continuing.

"If it hadn't been for Zoe Morgan, I wouldn't have learned the truth, that you felt the same as me. That was only the start of this crazy road we traveled together and I know that as your wife, I want to spend the rest of my days just being by your side. Now and forever." She nodded over to her friend Samantha Groves, silently asking for her ring. Joss and she were fellow lawyers at a local law firm. After graduating from law school, Joss continued to pursue her love for getting justice and she met Samantha during her first month of internship where they became fast friends.

Taking the gold band, Joss slowly slipped it onto John's ring finger. Their wedding was going to go a little out of order just because Joss was desperate to see the ring that would bond them forever on his finger. Their engagement had been a long six months of preparations and headaches but it had been worth it for the beautiful ceremony being performed.

"John Reese, I promise you that my love for you will never waver and as your wife, I'll do everything to make you happy until the day I die."

John was never a sentimental man but after such a heartfelt speech, he was fighting the urge to just pull Joss close and kiss her until they were both breathless. Instead, his hardened resolve and willpower to make this perfect for her holding him back.

"Joss…" He searched his mind for the words he practiced.

It was Joss's turn to squeeze his hands in encouragement. "It's okay John."

However, he shook his head. "No, it's not Joss because no words can describe what I'm feeling right now. To see you standing there willing to take these vows with me and become my wife was something I never dreamed of. As you said, our history started years ago but somehow we came together and found ourselves here. You've been the light in my life Joss and I couldn't imagine being without you. Your smile and laugh bring such joy to me. Even when we argue, we work through it because we understand and respect each other."

Looking behind him, John nodded to his best man Lionel Fusco who handed him his ring. John's strong sense of justice directed his life as well. He wanted nothing more than to help people who couldn't help themselves so that's why after high school, with a little encouragement from Joss, he enrolled in the local police academy where he was paired with Lionel. After passing, they were assigned as partners at the local precinct. After a particularly rough case where a perp almost escaped until John cut him off at the pass and tackled him, Lionel jokingly called him Wonderboy before inviting him for drinks afterward and they became great friends as a result.

Slipping the band onto her delicate finger, John rubbed it briefly before gripping her hands again. "Jocelyn Carter, this ring is my promise that I will always be faithful to only you, cherish you, and travel this journey with you because you are my other half and no one else will ever compare. Only death will be able to take me away from you and even then, I know that we'll find each other in the next life because that's the kind of connection we have."

Joss' breath hitched as the priest continued. "By the power vested in me by the state of New York, I now bond these two in marriage. You may now kiss your bride John."

"Happily," he said before lifting the veil to glance into the glistening eyes of his wife. With a wide smile on her face, Joss leaped forward and wrapped her arms around John's neck to pull his lips to hers, amusingly catching him by surprise with her eagerness before he wrapped his own arms around her tiny frame and returning the kiss to the sound of cheers of jubilation from their audience as they all celebrated this journey's next step.


End file.
